Essential Keyboard Shortcuts to Make Your Online Meetings Better

Submitted by: Josh Erwin

For power users, keyboard shortcuts are the best way to navigate all of your applications and practically your entire computer. They’re fast and effortless, after taking a little time to commit them to memory.

While we all may be familiar with some basic keyboard shortcuts, like Copy, Cut, Paste and the ever-famous Ctrl + Alt + Del, there are dozens if not hundreds more lurking behind your keyboard.

I’ve put together a quick list of three shortcuts that are must-haves for your next online meeting. They’ll streamline your screen-sharing and app-switching so you can put the right content on the right screen at the right time.

Disclaimer: I’m a PC guy, so I don’t have easy access to all of the Mac equivalents of these. Any Mac users out there? Sound off in the comments!

Show Desktop – Windows + D

One of the simplest keyboard shortcuts out there is also arguably my most commonly used. Pressing the Windows key and the D key together will instantly hide all of your apps and bring you to your desktop. For everyday computing, this is a fantastic and quick way to get to your desktop icons, find a file you just downloaded, or clear your screen if the bosses are lurking and you just happen to be on Facebook.

For the purposes of Online Meetings, this shortcut is great to prevent yourself from multitasking. Or, to clear your monitor before you begin screen sharing.

Switch Apps – Alt + Tab

If you’re a serial application-opener and tab-user like me, it can be tough once your meetings begin to track down your meeting agenda, presentation, spreadsheet, email or whatever window you may need to reference or use mid-meeting. Alt + Tab, another common keyboard shortcut, is a must-have for power users who want to quickly swap between open applications.

Press Alt + Tab together to bring up a list of open apps and, while continuing to hold Alt, tap Tab again to cycle through them. If you’re feeling particularly fancy, you can add the Shift key to the mix to cycle in reverse order.

Move Apps Between Monitors – Shift + Windows + Arrow Keys

If you’re lucky enough to have a dual monitor setup at work, there are a number of keyboard shortcuts you should master to make working on multiple screens a breeze.

For example, Shift + Windows + the Left or Right Arrow keys will move the active window between your monitors instantly. This is another shortcut that’s tailor-made for screensharing. Quickly move applications into and out of your shared monitor during your online meeting without having to mess with your mouse.

Got some favorite shortcuts of your own? Share them in the comments below or tweet us @PGi and let us know!